Responsible Sourcing & Quality Specialist

My client works with large retail clients, sourcing branded and unbranded products from manufacturers across China, India, Vietnam, & Indonesia.

Working as part of a dedicated and busy Quality Control Team who are responsible for the ethical controls within the business. An exciting opportunity for a highly organised individual to work with our customer base and factories to ensure compliance across ethical and responsible sourcing of products and materials.

Purpose of the role

Understand our retail customers’ policies across responsible sourcing; and ensure our supplier / vendor audits and products are compliant with our both own Global Sourcing Policy and Customers’ Policies across ethical, environmental and contractual requirements.

The three key elements being:

• The ethical controls for the business
• Timber legislation compliance including FSC, EUTR and EUDR
• Being the 1st point of contact into QC - Quality Control

Duties & Responsibilities:

Customers

• Liaise extensively with senior personnel from our retail customers
• Understand their sourcing policies and ensure our products are compliant
• Act as a point of contact for customers regarding ethical credentials
• Provide customers with accurate and up to date information

Vendors

• Make sure our vendors and factories are ethically secure and that products meet the required standards
• Ensure Vendor audits are current and that any action points are being worked on
• Provide feedback to factories and offices around the world to implement better quality and issue avoidance for future orders
• Maintain accurate and up to date records of Audits and Action Points
• Monitor Action Points to ensure resolution
• Assist in producing quality reports for new products and any major quality issues
• Liaise with global offices and suppliers to discuss quality issues leading to solution, resolution and better quality
• Research new potential Vendors and introduce them to our processes and procedures for ethical and responsible manufacturing

Internal Stakeholders

• Work closely with the Head of Quality to develop an increased understanding of our products and processes and make continuous improvements
• Provide the senior management team with updates on audits and action points being resolved
• Liaise across the business as required to maintain high standards of QC

Reporting & Compliance

Produce a weekly report for the Compliance Manager

• Weekly task update
• Active projects and progress
• New generic QA issues
• Current audit results and trends as well as factories that are not performing

Communication

• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders daily

Compliance

Maintain an up to date understanding of:

• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)
• EUTR (EU Timber Regulation)
• EUDR (EU Deforestation-free Regulation policy framework to address and mitigate the environmental impacts of deforestation)
• Ethical Audits (examination of supplier’s practices to ensure its compliant with legal and contractual requirements)

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience of Responsible Sourcing for manufacturing
• Organised, efficient and self-motivated approach to work
• Excellent administrative and record keeping skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Good Excel skills to include use of Pivot Tables and Vlookups
• Strong communication skills and ability to liaise at all levels both internally and externally
• Quick to pick up new systems and procedures
• Have a tenacious attitude to follow up on audit Action Points

Desired Skills and Experience

• Experience in Quality Control within manufacturing
• Understand the supply chain and outsourced manufacturing
• Understanding of legislative compliance in relation to Timber, Cotton, Faux Fur, Feather Filled Items, Global Recycling Standard, Oeko-Tex certified dyes and more…